Bumper-beam draft-rigging.



E. C. WASHBURN.

BUMPER BEAM DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 12, 1907.

www

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

fr? venian' erewith and entitled into a flltrlTD STATES GFFQE.

EDWIN C. WASHBURN, OF MNNEAPOLS, MNNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE `ASSIGNMENTS,

TO COMMONWEALTH' STEEL COMPANY, OF ST.. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A. CORRORATION @F NEW JERSEY.

entrena-naait naarrnreerne.

No. senses.

speeraeaanm er Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Appncamnsiea august 12, 1907. semina. esame.

clare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act descri tion of the invention, such as will enable otfiers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has'for its ob'eot to improve that type of draft rigging W erei a coupler bar is connected to and'has its badd of reaction against a bumper beam.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

Certain of the features herein disclosed are disclosed and claimed in my companion aplplicati'on S. N. 388,104 filed of even date f Bumper beam draft rig mg. y

n the accompanying drawings which illustrate the inventionlike charactersindicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and p artly in horizontal section, showing my invention incorporated in a bumper beam and draft bar. Fig.- 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section, with some parts broken away, showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line r3 x3 of Fig. 1.

The bumper beam 1 is made hollow, being preferably cast in steel. At its central portion it is providedwith a draft bar seat 2 that extends transversely through the beam from front to rear thereof and is extended ocket 3 rigidly secured to the rear plate of) the said beam.

The draft bar 4 works within the and the main body ortion thereof is in the form of a yoke 5, tlie rear end of which is adapted to work through an opening inthe extended end of the pocket 3.y At the o posite sides of the yoke 5, the said extende end of the pocket 3 is formed with stop lugs or flanges 6, and a short distance inward from its forwardly projecting end said draft bar is provided with internal stop lugs 7.

Placed within the pocket 3 and within the yoke is a friction barrel or cylinder 8, the

pocket 2 rear end of which is open and the front end of which is provided with a head 9 that is wedgefshaped or beveled in op osite directionsfrom its central toward its side ortions. Working frictionallywithin the arrel 8 is a split or two-part friction vbarrel or cylinder 10, the front end of which is openY and the rear end of which is formed with re versely beveled wedge portions-11. Within the .pocket 3,normally engaging the stop lian es 6 thereof, is a restan ular wedge bloc 12. The reversely bevele surfaces at the front face of this wedge block 12 en age one with each of the wedge portions 11 of the split barrel 10. IThe pocket 3, it will be noted, is rectangular in cross section. A .pair of reversely beveled wedge blocks 13 engage the reversely beveled portions of the wedge shaped head' 9. The outer edges of these wedgeblocks!` 13 are semi-cylindrical and en age the concave surfaces of the sections of normally engages the shoulders of the wedge ortions 11 of the split barrel 10, and a simiar follower 15 normally engages the inner faces of the Wedge blocks 13. A coiled the split barrel 10. A' follower 14.

cushioning .spring 16 is compressed between the followers 14 and 15. A 'spacing hub 17 projects through an axial passage in the wedge block 12 and between the wedge portions 11 of the split barrel 10 and engages the follower 14 and the rear portion of the draft bar yoke 5.

A pair of heavy lock pins 18, shown as rectangular in cross section, are passed through suitable seats in the bumper beam 1 on opposite sides of the draft bar 4 and front end opening of the seat 2, in position for engagement with the front end head of the barrel 8. When these lock pins 18 are removed from the beam', the draft bar, together with the springy and friction device or spring dampener, may be readily drawn out f the seat 2. When they are in working position they serve as abutments for transmitting draft strains from the draft bar to the bumper beam.

Under forward movements of the draft bar, produced by draft strains, the outer barl rel 8 and its head 9 remain stationary and the yoke 5, wedge block 12, sectional inner barrel 10 and follower 14 are moved forward, as the spring is com ressed. Under bumping strains, the draft ar 4, outer barrel 8, its head 9 and thefollower 15 are moved rear- Yby the wedge block 12, so that the sections of the split barrel 10 are forced into frictional engagement with the engaging walls of the outer barrel 8, undera ressure that -is a roximately proportional) to the force of t e umping or draft strains. Hence, as the two friction barrels 8 and 10 always have a slid- Iing movement, one with respect to the other,

under bumping and draft strains, the frictional resistance afforded thereby augments or relieves the spring 16 to an extent approximately proportional to such bumping or draft strains.

What I claim is: 1. The combination with a bumper beam having a draft bar seat at its central portion,

land detachable draft pins mounted in said beam and passed through the forward extremities of said draft bar seat, one on each side of said draft bar and serving when in position to hold the said frictional devices and spring in operative position Within said seat, substantially as described.

2. A draft mechanism comprising a body portion and a yielding draft connection thereto, including a draft bar and vertically removable keys serving as draft lug devices and normally holding said parts operatively connected.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN C. WASHBURN.

Witnesses:

MALIE HoEL, H. D. KrLGoRE. 

